The New Book Review

This blog, #TheNewBookReview, is "new" because it eschews #bookbigotry. It lets readers, reviewers, authors, and publishers expand the exposure of their favorite reviews, FREE. Info for submissions is in the "Send Me Your Fav Book Review" circle icon in the right column below. Find resources to help your career using the mini search engine below. #TheNewBookReview is a multi-award-winning blog including a MastersInEnglish.org recommendation.

Showing posts sorted by relevance for query writers. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query writers. Sort by date Show all posts

Monday, July 20, 2009

Brigitte A. Thompson Gives Writers a Dose of What They Need

Title: Bookkeeping Basics for Freelance Writers
Author: Brigitte A. Thompson
Genre: Nonfiction, business
ISBN: 978-0963212382
Reviewer's rating: 5 stars

Reviewed by Michelle Dunn for Amazon

Review:

- Writers everywhere will be so happy to find this book! I am a writer, not a bookkeeper, but bookkeeping is a big part of being a writer. Unfortunately, many writers do not have bookkeeping or business skills. This book can help you tremendously with forming your business, setting up what you need to do legally, choosing a name, and documenting your income for the IRS. The forms included in this book are invaluable and make the process much easier and stremlined, including a freelance contract and subcontractor agreement. Save yourself much time and aggravation and use this book and the forms included to begin your successful writing career today! ----Michelle Dunn, columnist and author of eight books in the collecting money seri

Synopsis:

Bookkeeping Basics for Freelance Writers addresses issues writers face daily such as how to deduct travel expenses, determine taxable writing income, and claim home office deductions.

Navigating through the recordkeeping required for a small business owner can be difficult. This book is written exclusively for those of us who earn money by writing. It includes useful information to help interpret the complexities of our federal tax code and proven techniques to reduce taxable income. T

hroughout the book we have included tips from both new and seasoned writers. In the Tips forSuccess feature writers share the wisdom they have acquired over time. In the Writer’s Block feature you will discover specific questions writers have submitted which, when answered, helpclarify points made about that topic.

You will also find that each part of this book works together to assist you in forming your overall business plan. Each chapter steps through a comprehensive plan that works as a building block towards a successful writing business.

Q&A/Interview:

An interview with Brigitte A. Thompson, author of eight financial books including the just released Bookkeeping Basics for Freelance Writers published by Crystal Press.

Tell us what Bookkeeping Basics for Freelance Writers is about.

Writers have many important questions to ask about income and expenses, but no single source for answers. I created this book, Bookkeeping Basics for Freelance Writers, to be that source. It is an easy-to-understand guide to organizing a writer’s financial life.

This book addresses issues writers face daily such as how to deduct travel expenses, determine taxable writing income, and claim home office deductions. Navigating through the recordkeeping required for a small business owner can be difficult. This book is written exclusively for those of us who earn money by writing.

Readers will also find that each part of this book works together to assist in forming an overall business plan. The chapters take the writer through a comprehensive process that works as a building block towards a successful writing business.

Have you found that freelance writers require a different set of bookkeeping rules?

Many bookkeeping rules are universal such as the requirement to record income, but there are some areas of the tax law that are of more interest to freelance writers. This includes dealing with royalty payments, bartering, personal property and agent fees. My book addresses the universal tax rules as well as the infrequently discussed rules that apply specifically to freelance writers.

Learning how to document expenses and how to track income will give writers the best chance at overall business success.

What are some tax deductions that freelance writers might not be aware of?

There are many tax deductions available to writers. Some expenses are common, such as the cost of purchasing a case of paper or paying for a computer software upgrade. Other costs incurred in the operation of your writing business may not jump out at you as expenses when they could be.

For example, consider the following accounts.

Mileage: Trips made in your vehicle to pick up office supplies can be counted as a business deduction if you record the proper information to support it.

Meals: Treating your agent to a restaurant meal with the discussion focusing on your next book can also generate a tax deduction when properly documented.

Shipping: UPS charges and postage used to mail a query or review copy of your book can be a small expense, but it should still be tracked. Those small deductions add up and every penny spent as a qualified business expense will reduce the amount of income tax you owe.

Bookkeeping Basics for Freelance Writers devotes an entire chapter to expenses including a comprehensive listing of expenses and detailed information regarding what documentation is required to support each one.

I'm sure you've observed other freelance writers making accounting missteps that cost them time and money. What are some of the most common issues and how can we avoid them?

The most common misstep I’ve seen with writers is not taking themselves seriously as business owners. This can lead to financial pitfalls. Many writers have been honing their craft for years so it’s hard to identify an official starting date for their self-employment. Without this point to mark the beginning, it is easy to put off tracking income and expenses. This can be an unfortunate mistake.

The IRS will consider you to be in business when you are actively pursuing projects intended to generate income and expenses. This means they will expect you to file a tax return to report those transactions. Keeping track of your income and expenses from day one will enable you to pay the least amount of income taxes on the money you earn.

Many people find numbers, especially when related to bookkeeping and taxes, intimidating. Will this book make these things easier to understand"?

Yes, my book breaks down complicated number crunching into easy to follow steps. By reading the book, readers will understand why it's important to keep certain receipts and how those pieces of paper factor into the overall success of their writing business. Sometimes knowing the reasoning behind a task makes it easier to complete.

Writers can take advantage of some wonderful tax deductions, but only when they are aware of the possibility and know how to accurately document the expenses. My book explains it all in a reader friendly format.

What are some of the challenges readers face with regards to bookkeeping?

I found the most common challenge writers face revolves around what they can claim as income and what counts as a tax deduction. For example, if their first job is writing the school newsletter, is the money received really income? Do they need to do something with the Internal Revenue Service before they can be considered a business? How do they handle selfemployment tax?

The second most common concern for the freelance writers is related to proper documentation.What receipts did they need to save? How should they be kept? What information needs to be recorded to prove the expense? These are all great questions and they are addressed in the book.

Why is it important for writers to understand bookkeeping?

Writers are earning money and this money needs to be reported as income on their income tax return. If writers do not have any expenses to claim, their taxable income will be higher and they will owe more income tax.

Understanding what can be claimed as business expenses when you are a writer and how to properly document these expenses will help ensure the success of your business.

The most important thing you can do as a writer is to become organized. There are many books available on how to organize your writing, but this is the best book available about how to organize the financial side of your writing business.


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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Monday, April 26, 2010

RJ Medak Reviews Fun Grammar Brush-Up Book

Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers: The Ultimate Frugal Booklet for Avoiding Word Trippers and Crafting Gatekeeper-Perfect Copy
By Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Published by HowToDoItFrugally.com
EAN-13: 9781450507653
Paperback booklet
55 pages
$6.95

Reviewed by Robert Medlak for Amazon and asorted review sites

This pamphlet is only around fifty pages, but filled with an assemblage of word trippers written in a conversational style that will help writers from aspiring to seasoned with their copy.

The best way to appear amateurish as writers is to make simple word usage errors. There are homophone words that writers should know the difference, and which one of them to use in their copy. Some of the most common errors found in editing by author and editor, Carolyn Howard-Johnson lists in “Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers.”

This reviewer found this pamphlet to be inspirational and a brush up for any writer. Any time a writer submits copy not up to professional standards there is a gatekeeper who will bounce it. Reading this pamphlet can save writers the embarrassment of receiving a rejection slip for poor writing.

“Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers” is a postscript to Carolyn’s book, The Frugal Editor. No writer is a consummate writer in every sentence and word choice. Writers can only strive for perfection, but not consumed by it.

This reviewer found this small pamphlet chock full of useful information for all writers. Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers receives a five star rating by this reviewer.

The Reviewer

Robert (Bob) Medak is a writer/editor/reviewer. He reviews for AllBook Reviews and New York Journal of Books. He is acquisitions editor for Real Time PUblishing. Find him at Stormy Winter. He tweets at www.twitter.com/RJ_Medak.



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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.
As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using the widget below:

Friday, October 7, 2011

Writers' Tricks of the Trade: Carolyn Howard-Johnson gives marketing advice

The Frugal Book Promoter: Second Edition: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher.

The Frugal Book Promoter: Second Edition
By Carolyn Howard-Johhnson
Author's Web Site: www.howtodoitfrugally.com
Author's Sharing with Writers Blog: www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com
ISBN: 97814637743291
Cover Design: Chaz DeSimone
Designer's Web Site: www.chazdesimone.com
Genre: Nonfiction: Writers/How-To/Marketing

Reviewed by Morgan St. James originally for the Las Vegas Examiner


A few years ago I met author, promoter and writing instructor Carolyn Howard-Johnson when she presented workshops at the Las Vegas Writers Conference. We’ve since become friends and follow milestones in each other’s careers.

Carolyn is the author of books that are tremendously helpful, particularly for the writer who must stay on a budget. One of her books, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won’t, is on my own bookshelf with lots of bright orange sticky notes marking passages that I go back to again and again. It is also listed in the bibliography at the back of my new book Writers’ Tricks of the Trade: 39 Things You Need to Know About the ABCs of Writing Fiction. As you can tell, I cherish her solid advice.

Her books that relate to the real world

In this tight economy and fierce competition for the readers’ dollars, we need every edge we can possibly find. In Carolyn's new book, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Get Nearly Free Publicity On Your Own Or Partnering With Your Publisher, she relates to the dynamic changes that have occurred over the past few years in the way we do business. I was fortunate enough to receive an advance copy and delighted to see that one of the people she dedicates this book to is Trudy McMurrin, a very talented editor I had the pleasure of knowing. Trudy influenced the way many writers developed their skills, and her life was claimed by cancer much too soon in 2009 .

Here is why I suggest adding Carolyn’s books to your writers’ library.

She approaches her topics in plain language, something I really like, and fills them with real-world common sense. I do that, in my own books and columns because hyperbole and lofty writing are not the way to teach in my opinion.Give me plain talk any day!

She doesn’t advocate that the author “run willy-nilly” and break the rules of PR (public relations.) Instead, she says as a creative author you can take the rules and turn what might have been the tinkle of bells into the sound of timpani for everyone you want to reach. She further states that the idea that authors can’t promote is anything but the truth, and cites Mark Twain as one of the best at putting himself out there.

There are two big words the author needs to have at the front of their consciousness at all times: branding and networking. In simple language, figure out who you are—your strengths, who you want to reach, how you want them to perceive you which will give them a reason to believe they can’t go one more day without putting your book in their collection. Then network, network, network. The best branding in the world is no good if the message isn’t circulating.

It reminds me of the bit of advice I always spout.

No one is going to knock at your door and say, “I understand you just wrote a book. Please let me buy a copy.” Of course, it could be Aunt Sadie who lives close by because your mother just told her about the book, but that's not reaching your market.

Let the world know what you’re doing and enlist the help of others to spread the word.

The new edition of The Frugal Book Promoter is broken down into well organized sections:

  • Section I Getting Started and Getting On with It
  • Section II Plunging In: Publicity Basics Now
  • Section III Do-It-Yourself and Partner Publicity
  • Section IV Promote Your Book by Doing What You Love
  • Section V You and the Media
  • Section VI Well Traveled, Oft Forgotten
  • Section VII Onward and Upward

This book is an absolute treasure trove and with two new books to promote myself, I can’t wait to start marking the pages and putting her sage advice to use.

The release of her new book will be announced in this column, on my blog and in the newsletter. Incidentally, Carolyn Howard-Johnson is a guest contributor for the October issue of the Writers’ Tricks of the Trade Newsletter. SUBSCRIBE to the Writers' Tricks of the Trade blog for posts and newsletters to be delivered to you automatically when published.

~For more information about Morgan St. James, visit www.morganstjames-author.com website or the Silver Sisters Mysteries website. Morgan frequently speaks and gives workshops for published and aspiring writers at conferences and events. Her next appearance will be at Partners in Crime, Sydney, Australia on September 11. Information on her website.

Because of the popularity of Writers' Tricks of the Trade, she has recently added a blog, newsletter and the just-released Writers’ Tricks of the Trade: 39 Things You Need to Know About the ABCs of Writing Fiction book., available in paperback, eBook and Kindle. The hilarious third Silver Sisters Mystery, Vanishing Act in Vegas, was also released in August.

Writers' Tricks of the Trade: 39 Things You Need to Know About the ABCs of Writing Fiction
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Monday, September 1, 2014

Frugal Editor Updates to Include Little-Known Ampersand Guidelines

The Frugal Editor
Subtitle: Do it yourself editing secrets for authors: From your query letter to final manuscript to the marketing of your new bestseller
By Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Genre: Nonfiction: Writers/Editing/Writing
Available as e-book at http://bit.ly/FrugalEditorKind  




Second Edition Gets Spit and Polish
 
Digital Books Make New Edits of Even a Book on Editing Possible
 
Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s newest book is a second edition of the multi award-winning The Frugal Editor: Do-it-yourself editing secrets for authors: From your query letter to final manuscript to the marketing of your new bestseller. And now it’s sporting new formatting and even a few additions all because of the magic of e-books.
 
The author of the HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers was inspired a poem one of her clients sent her for editing. The author had used the lovely-to-look at ampersand everywhere she need to use an and. That, of course, could be a style choice, but not all style choices are good choices. Poetry should be trimmed of excess words, but this choice only shortened conjunctions that could have just been red-penciled out. The poet said she had made the choice because ampersands are so pretty. Yes, they are. So pretty and so rarely used that the reader could become distracted from the poem’s intent and the imagery. Carolyn’s editing instinct has always demanded that trickery with font, formatting, strained metaphors and the like should be avoided. She can only hope her client took her advice.
 
But the incident made the author realize that most writers don’t understand when ampersands can and should be used. So, it was back to the recent edition to make additions—thanks to the ease of fixing books published digitally these days.
 
The first edition of The Frugal Editor published in 2007 was winner of USA Book News’ pick for Best Professional Book, a Reader Views winner, and received nods from the Next Generation awards and the Military Writers Society of America, but the new version is Expanded (more than 100 pages)! Updated! And Reformatted. It also has a a new subtitle, a new cover by Chaz DeSimone with a new three-dimensional look by Gene Cartwright. And this e-book version was honored again by Dan Poynter’s Global Ebook Awards and the Next Generation Indie Awards.
The second edition covers new editing tricks the author has come to appreciate since the first was published, including how to spot the overuse of helping verbs when simple past tense would work just as well; a reminder that politically correct usage isn’t always what a writer should strive for (consider some of the language used in the award-winning movie Twelve Years A Slave); and more on style choices vs. grammar rules and how to make those choices. She says, “I'd be embarrassed if I had to say I hadn't learned anything more I could share with my readers in seven years since the first edition was published.”
 The Frugal Editor received plaudits from industry shakers like Marilyn Ross, founder of Small Publishers or North America; Tim Bete, director of Dayton University’s Erma Bombeck Writers’ Conference, and respected industry editors like Barbara McNichol.  
 
Howard-Johnson, an instructor for nearly a decade at UCLA Extension’s Writers’ Program, chose to release this new edition for e-books with Amazon’s Kindle because their free app allows readers to access it for many platforms and the lower price of digital publishing gives her struggling students and clients an affordable choice. It will soon be available for print, too.
 
Whichever format a reader chooses, The Frugal Editor battles the gremlins out there who are determined to keep an author’s work from being published or promoted. Resolved to embarrass authors before the gatekeepers who can turn the key of success for them—these gremlins lurk in a writer’s subconscious and the depths of computer programs. Whether a new or experienced author, The Frugal Editor helps writers present whistle-clean copy (from a one-page cover letter to your entire manuscript) to those who have the power to say “yea” or “nay.”

The author is the recipient of the California Legislature’s Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment Award, her community’s Character and Ethics award for her work promoting tolerance with her writing, and its Diamond Award for her work with arts and culture. She was also named to Pasadena Weekly’s list of 14 women of “San Gabriel Valley women who make life happen.” She has worked for Good Housekeeping Magazine and as a journalist for several newspapers and has been a popular presenter at writers’ conferences nationwide like the one at San Diego State University and the Sinclair Lewis Writers’ Conference. She is also a novelist and poet, which informs the advice she gives to authors of those genres.
 
Learn more about Howard-Johnson and her HowToDoItFrugally series of books at http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com.
 
The e-book is available at http://bit.ly/FrugalEditorKind.
 
# # # #
Cover image and media kit available on request at HoJoNews@aol.com.
 
“Absolutely essential for beginning writers and a necessary reminder for the more advanced.  The mentor you've been looking for.  This book won't collect dust!”~Christina Francine, review for Fjords Review


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 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Essential, Literate, Academic: Essays for the Serious Writer

The Essential Don Murray
Subtitle: Lessons from America's Greatest Writing Teacher
Edited by Thomas Newkirk and Lisa C. Miller
Afterword by Chip Scanlan
Boynton/Cook Publishers
ISBN: 9780867096002
Nonfiction/How-To/Writers
Contact Reviewer: hojoreviews@aol.com
Publisher's Site: www.boyntoncook.com






Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, award-winning author of This Is the Place and Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered, Tracings, a chapbook of poetry, and the author of the HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers.

The miracle of books from an author's point of view: They live beyond the author's last breath. Of course, it is really the sharing of that breath, the soul, that they care about. Thanks to Boynton/Cook Books, Thomas Newkirk and Lisa C. Miller have been allowed to resurrect Don Murray's essential wisdom for writers several years after his demise.

Don Murray, a popular columnist, journalist and writer, died in 2006. And though this book definitely celebrates Murray as a writer in his own right, it is—at its root—Murray the teacher of writingthat has been brought to life in these pages.

This is important because Murray's emphasis on creativity and the writing process as opposed to the stress so many teachers and writers' programs put on product and genre is fit so well with my own teaching philosophy. I love them because they are similar to mine and, sure. It feels like validation in a writing world become more commercial and less author-centered as time goes on.

But I'm recommending this book comes because I think that Murray's techniques may very well eradicate the disease known as writer's block and do very much the same for joyless writing. It may even do that for writers who are completely comfortable with product-oriented writing.

Murray's message should definitely be heard by all writers--especially beginning writers. Having said that, I think this book holds more value for teachers of writing. For one thing, there is a distinctly academic quality about many of the essays chosen by the editors and about the foreword, too.

With that in mind, I advise new writers to skip the foreword and go to some of the middle chapters that reproduce some of Murray's methods. His keeping of a day book, his note making, his process of drawing inspiration and even his sketches. It is in those chapters one will get an idea of the man and what made him a formidable writer in many genres. It is in those chapters he does his best job as teacher, too.

It is in those chapters that Murray is allowed to teach by example. At one point he talks about the importance of a teacher sharing his or her own work with students, that this sharing is vital to the teaching process. I suspect it is those middle chapters he wouldn't have wanted his students to miss. It is in those middle chapters, the teacher is intent on sharing what brought him joy, the wonderful exuberance of discovery in writing.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.
And while you're at it, as a courtesy to the author, please retweet this post:

Saturday, May 6, 2023

Jim Cox Review Dr. Judith Briles New Book on Crowdfunding

How to Create Crowdfunding Success for Authors and Writers
Dr. Judith Briles
Mile High Press
ISBN: 9781885331922, $20.00, PB, 114pp
Available on Amazon
 
Reviewed by Jim Cox, Editor of Midwest Book Review
 
Synopsis: "How to Create Crowdfunding Success for Authors and Writers" by Dr. Judith Briles is the ideal 'how-to' manual for aspiring self published authors who need money for design and printing; money for marketing; money to develop a website; even money for a PR campaign.
 
The principle promise of Dr. Briles is that if your financial resources are low, there are ways to increase it. You want the odds to be on your side. You want to be in the 35 percent minority that succeeds if you are an author or authortobe. Not the 65 percent that don't.
 
It's the power of OPM (Other People's Money!).
 
"How to Create Crowdfunding Success for Authors and Writers" shows how to:
 
Create rewards that your donors want.
Identify timelines: pre, during and post a crowdfunding campaign.
Determine which crowdfunding sites are best for authors and writers.
Pinpoint the essentials that every successful crowdfunding campaign has.
Get hot tips for creating momentum and the final push.
Structure a social media checklist that's ideal for your project.
 
Here is the perfect step-by-step instructional guide on the subject of how to set budgets and limit costs.
 
Does crowdfunding work for financing authors and writers? Yes it is. Can you as an author or writer succeed at it? Absolutely -- Start with a careful reading of "How to Create Crowdfunding Success for Authors and Writers"
 
Critique: It costs money to turn a manuscript into a book. It costs money to persuasively bring a book to the attention of its intended readership. Over the years, Dr. Judith Briles has earned her nickname of 'The Book Shepherd' and is one of the most respected and knowledgeable book marketing and promotion experts in the publishing industry today. Simply stated, anyone and everyone that aspires to becoming a successfully self-published author needs to give a careful 'note-taking' read of "How to Create Crowdfunding Success for Authors and Writers". While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library Writing/Publishing instructional reference collections, it should be noted that "How to Create Crowdfunding Success for Authors and Writers" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.67).
 
MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 Dr. Judith Briles (http://www.milehighpress.com) is the author of 43 books and known as The Book Shepherd, working with authors globally to create and publish books in all subject categories and genres. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_Briles) A number of her titles have been previously reviewed and archived by the Midwest Book Review website at www.midwestbookreview.com

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Jim Cox is the Editor-in-Chief of Midwest Book Review and also of his frequent newsletter where he published reviews of new writer-oriented books including ths one. Subscribe on the Midwest Book Review website. 

MORE ABOUT #THENEWBOOKREVIEW BLOG

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's #AuthorsHelpingAuthors service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Invitation to Upper Michigan for Writers' Conference and a Review...

...of the flagship book in my #HowToDoItFrugally Series of books now in its third edition and published by Modern History Press.  In time, I hope for you to make reservations for the conference in June.  If you won't be there but have other writers' conference plans--and I hope you do--this review will remind you to learn more about making writers' conferences more successful in #TheFrugalBookPromoter.  Just use the index to find plan-ahead suggestions, conference possibilities you may not know about and a whole lot more!

Please scroll down for details on the writers' conference and here is the review from MyShelf.com with many thanks to reviewer Leslie C. Halpern:

The Frugal Book Promoter, 3rd editionHow To Get Nearly Free Publicity On Your Own Or By Partnering With Your Publisherby Carolyn Howard-Johnson

Modern History Press / Reader’s Digest
September 2019/ ISBN 978-1615994694
Nonfiction / Writing / Publishing

Reviewed by Leslie C. Halpern
From the author’s popular “How to Do It Frugally Series,” comes this third edition of The Frugal Book Promoter, a nonfiction guide to getting no-and-low-cost publicity. As the publishing industry has changed over the years—primarily
because of the internet—each new edition provides updates accordingly. This latest version of the first book in the series has been reorganized to help readers better understand promotion, and provides up-to-the minute advice on producing effective media releases, query letters, and media kits.
Divided into seven sections (along with helpful appendixes with writing samples and an index), the book focuses on getting started, using publicity basics, working independently or with a publicity partner, promoting a book through writing other material, understanding the media, standard promotions that still work, and tips for rejuvenating earlier publications. Sections are broken down into chapters, and chapters are further broken down into subheadings and bulleted points. These methods of dividing material into smaller chunks of information should keep the abundance of advice from overwhelming readers.

Some of the updated internet information is contained in Chapter 21 “Game Changers.” Howard-Johnson, an award-winning author and former publicist, encourages writers to consider blogging as a social network where they can establish their personal brand, promote their work, build name recognition, and network with others in the publishing world. The chapter provides specific ways to begin a blog, find content for posting, and nearly a dozen ways to promote it. “We use our blogs to promote, obviously. What isn’t so obvious is that the blog itself must be promoted. One of the most important ways to do both things is to integrate it with all the other entities you use for networking on the web.”

Whether authors are first-timers or adding the next book to their series, this book offers helpful suggestions for authors of fiction and nonfiction (and all genres within these categories). The book also provides links, publication titles, and other helpful resources for additional information. All authors who want to spread the word about their publications should have a copy of The Frugal Book Promoter on their bookshelf.
MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Leslie C. Halpern is the author of four nonfiction books, including 200 Love Lessons from the Movies and four children's books, including Silly Sleepytime Poems.

MORE ABOUT UPPER PENINSULA PUBLISHES WRITERS' CONFERENCE 

The 21st annual Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association (UPPAA) Spring Conference will be held June 6th 2020 at the Olson Library on the campus of Northern Michigan University, Marquette Michigan.  Attendance is free for UPPAA members and $50 for non-members.  The Spring Conference will be preceded by a pre-conference Fiction Writing Workshop hosted by Red Ore Writers.

Authors who attend will learn best practices for writing, marketing, and selling their work from a broad selection of industry professionals.  This year's special topics include: romance writing, children's picture books, social media marketing, and writing/researching your historical fiction/non-fiction books. Our keynote speaker is Carolyn Howard-Johnson who will present "Your Frugal Book Launch:  The first 100 days to success".  Updates will be posted at www.UPPAA.org

Invitation to Upper Michigan for Writers' Conference and a Review...


MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page and in a tab at the top of this blog's home page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites so it may be used a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

#TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing #writersconferences

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Best Books for Writers To Read in 2012

Obviously, I haven't read every new book out there for writers. Consider this a good little "get started" list for your 2011 reading.

Agni, a literary journal. Literary writers might pick any full book-size issue and study the selections to improve your poetry and short stories.. Published by Boston University. www.agnimagazine.org.


Outwitting Writer’s Block and other Problems of the Pen by Jenna Glatzer, Lyons Press, ISBN: 1592281249


Ignite the Genius Within: Discover Your Full Potential (with CD), by Dr. Christine Ranck and Christopher Lee Nutter, Dutton. ISBN: 9780525950943


Surviving Depression with Art Therapy by Joyce White, AuthorHouse, Really for artists of every ilk, but an interesting take on what the arts (writing) can do for our psyches. ISBN: 9781434320667

Concerning E. M. Forster by Frank Kermode. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. This book is for very literary types and really avoid Forster fans. ISBN: 9780374298999

The Essential Don Murray, edited by Thomas Newkirk and Lisa C. Miller, Heinmann Boynton/Cook. Don Murray is deceased. His sage advice to writers live on. ISBN 9780867096002

Writers’ Tricks of the Trade: 39 things you need to know about the ABCs of writing fiction by Morgan St. James, Marina Publishing. A new book by the queen of mystery writing. ISBN: 9780983779001

Spice Up Your Writing: Write to Entice by Billie A. Williams. Published by Filbert Publishing. Williams is a mystery writer with several self-help books for writers to her credit. I especially love the chapter on perseverance in this, her newest. ISBN: 9781932794168


Note: For more outstanding books—not necessarily books for writers—please see Carolyn's MyShelf Noble (Not Nobel!) Prize list for 2011 in her Back to Literature Column (http://www.myshelf.com/backtoliterature/column.htm.)

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Pesky Word Trippers and Editing Hints

I'm in love with this review written by Karen Cioffi. Not because it is a rave review (really, it's quite matter-of-fact), but because it gives readers what they need to make a buying decision. So, I think of this not only as a brag about my new little booklet, but as an example of what a well-written review looks like.

Title: Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers
Author: Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Publisher: HowToDoItFrugally.com
ISBN: 1450507654

What’s more important to a writer than words? Not much . . . maybe how to put words together properly, using correct grammar, weaving them together to create descriptive or informative content . . . but, we still go back to the foundation of every writer’s manuscript or article . . . words.

Carolyn Howard Johnson’s latest book, Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers, is a little 55 page book (or e-book) that a writer can refer back to over and over and over to find help with some of the most common word trippers.

In the Before You Get Started section of this book, Howard-Johnson explains, “Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers is full of words that are trouble causers. They either sound alike or are spelled similarly. They are not arcane words that you will seldom have an occasion to use. They are not words the writer knows but still mistypes.”

Words such as climactic and climatic used improperly or misspelled can mean a rejection when submitting to the “gatekeepers.” The addition or deletion of that little second “c” makes a huge difference in the meaning of the word.

Or, how about the words: all together / altogether; demur / demure; one in the same / one and the same; and peeked / peaked / piqued. These are just a few of the word trippers added in the Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers.

Listed in an A – Z format, the words chosen for this book are thoroughly explained with the aid of examples. This all makes for an easy to understand and easy to read guide. The author also provides two resource sections at the end of the book: Reading: One Editing Book at a Time, and Other Writers’ Aids.

I happen to be a fan of Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s Frugal series and have the Frugal Editor as well as the Frugal Book Promoter. They are a part of my writing and marketing toolkit. The author has done it again with the Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers. She has compiled this much needed booklet as an addendum to a list in the appendix of her book, The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success.

I learned a great deal from Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers and will be referring to it often; I highly recommend it.

Reviewed by Karen Cioffi, author, writer-for-hire, freelance writer. She blogs at
http://karenandrobyn.blogspot.com and is co-author of Day's End Lullaby. She is the author of The Self-Publisher's Guide, Writing, Publishing, and Marketing - You Can Do It!, and Walking Through Walls - In contract with 4RV Publishing. She also reviews for BookPleasures.com and Muse Book Reviews
Follow her at http://twitter.com/KarenCV
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.
As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using the widget below:

Monday, January 16, 2017

Book Publicist Lauds How-To Book on Getting Reviews

Title: How To Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically
Subtitle: The ins and outs of using free reviews to build and sustain a writing career
Series: HowToDoItFrugally multi award-winning series of book for writers
ISBN 978 1 5369 4837 0
Pages: 336
Author’s Web Site: http://howtodoitfrugally.com
Cover Design, Chaz DeSimone, http://DeSimoneDesign.com



By R. Scott Lorenz, publicist, originally for Amazon

As a book publicist I can attest to the fact that getting thoughtful reviews is an important part of a book marketing promotion. Potential buyers of a book will often turn to the reviews to find credible comments about the book they are possibly going to buy.

In addition, members of the media will read the Amazon reviews to see what people are saying about a book before they book the author on a radio or TV interview. Nobody wants to take a chance on a book that the public does not like.

The advice Carolyn offers is important and useful. If you are an author buy this book! You'll find tips and techniques that'll help you obtain reviews
as the title says... both Frugally and Ethically.


MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carolyn Howard-Johnson brings her experience as a publicist, journalist, marketer, and retailer to the advice she gives in her HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers and the many classes she taught for nearly a decade as instructor for UCLA Extension’s world-renown Writers’ Program. The books in her HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers have won multiple awards. That series includes both the first and second editions of The Frugal Book Promoter and The Frugal Editor won awards from USA Book News, Readers’ Views Literary Award, the marketing award from Next Generation Indie Books and others including the coveted Irwin award. How To Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically is the newest book in her HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers.
Howard-Johnson has also published quick-read booklets for writers including Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers and Great First Impression Book Proposals, both available as e-booklets and in paper.




MORE ON THE NEW BOOK REVIEW

The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Interview: Multi Award-Winning Buzz Bernard




Hi! I am Carolyn Howard Johnson, your trusty New Book Review blogger and author of the multi award-winning HowTo Do It Frugally Series of books for writers. This blog has heretofore been exclusive for reviews but I thought I’d do a special series of interviews after I chatted with Jeanie Loiacono, President of Loiacono Literary Agency – Where ‘can’t’ is not in our vocabulary!  I thought sharing the interviews would help the many subscribers and visitors to this New Book Review blog, including authors, reviewers, and, of course, readers who just might find a new favorite author among the featured books and authors.

So, today welcome H. W. “BUZZ” BERNARD.

Bernard is writing from vast experience. He has a B. S. in Atmospheric Science, University of Washington, was a Weather Officer in the United States Air Force Reserve 1963-1996 (two tours in Vietnam 1965-1966), Meritorious Service Medal 1993, flew with Hurricane Hunters 1995, received the Legion of Merit 1996, and worked as a meteorologist and defense contractor 1968-1996. Bernard’s other published works include: Weather Watch (1979, Walker and Company), The Greenhouse Effect (1980, Ballinger Publishing Company/Harper Colophon Books), The Travelers Almanac–North America (1987, The Riverdale Company), The Travelers Almanac II–Europe (1991, The Riverdale Company) and Global Warming Unchecked (1993, Indiana University Press). He has written four thrillers for BelleBooks: EYEWALL, PLAGUE, SUPERCELL and BLIZZARD, and has another in the works, CASCADIA.

He has also won numerous awards for both nonfiction and fiction from the Southeastern Writers Association (SWA) and the Atlanta Writers Club (AWC).

In 2005, a short story, “Oregon Grinder,” was granted an honorable mention in the Lorian Hemingway Competition.


What is your genre? Fiction.

What made you want to be a writer? I’ve always enjoyed writing; always knew I had a talent for it, although I did have to spend a lot of time learning the craft of writing fiction.

Of all the authors out there, who inspired you most? James Lee Burke, whom I think is the best fiction writer in the business.  There’s another author by the name of Brian Jay Corrigan (The Poet of Loch Ness) who’s a professor and writing instructor, and who not only personally urged me to keep writing, but also taught me more about the craft of creating fiction than any one person I’ve ever met.

What is your writing style? Do you outline? Linearly, By scene? Why?  I have a rather
cinematic view in mind as I write.  I try to embed my readers in a setting, creating characters in
conflict…with each other or with themselves.  I like drama and tension, and try to end each
chapter with a hook, Wow, what’s going to happen next?

I outline, but only broadly, perhaps a couple of pages-worth of notes.  I create, if you will, a
roadmap or strategic plan, knowing I want to get from Point A to Point B to Point C, etc.  Only I
don’t know how I’m going to do it.  That doesn’t occur until I sit down to write.  The outline, by
the way, is a “living” document; I make changes to it as I proceed through the manuscript.

I tried to write a novel once without an outline.  I got totally lost, gave up on the manuscript after
about 100 pages, and never again tried writing without an outline.

Do you write every day? How much? How long? I write when I can.  I’d like to do about six hours a day (any more than that, and my efficiency nose-dives), but often can’t.

Do you think reading is important to writing for an author? Why? I love to read; always have.  I don’t have as much time to do it now that I’m an author, but I still think it’s important to see how the really top-flight writers go about their business.  As a writer, I’m constantly learning, and reading is one of the mechanisms to do that.

What are some of the things you would like to share with budding authors?  Writing, for most up-and-coming authors, is hard work. Not impossible, just hard.  You’ve got to keep at it.  Day after day.  Butt in chair, fingers on keyboard.  Also, I would suggest you participate in a critique group, or have writing partner.  Attend seminars, classes, and conferences. There is no magic formula or secret to success, you’ve just got to keep learning and pounding out the words.

Do you have any marketing and promotional advice, referrals, tips you would like to share? For non-big-name authors, like myself, promotions on Amazon (the 800-pound gorilla in the retail business) are what seem to jump start my book sales.

Do you think conferences are beneficial? If so, what have you learned? Which ones do you frequent? Conferences are extremely beneficial, not only for the instruction available, but for the networking opportunities. The contacts I’ve made at conferences were key and critical in my success as a novelist.  I attend the Southeastern Writers Association Workshop every year. The people I met there were instrumental in getting me published. I feel so strongly about that that I joined the Board of Directors and am currently the association’s vice president. Here’s my pitch for the conference: it’s a relatively intimate (limited to about seventy-five attendees), boutiquey workshop held in a subtropical paradise called St. Simons Island on the Georgia coast every June. You really ought to check it out.
  1. Where can we find you, your books, and when is your next event? My books are available through all the standard commercial outlets.  My next big event will be Murder in the Magic City (Birmingham, February 6th) Murder on the Menu (Wetumpka, February 7th) in Alabama. The contract for my fifth novel, Cascadia, is pending. www.buzzbernard.com Represented by Loiacono Literary Agency, Jeanie Loiacono http://www.loiaconoliteraryagency.com/authors/buzz-bernard/  Bernard Schedule of Events  Facebook  Vice President, Southeastern Writers Association  member, International Thriller Writers  member, Atlanta Writers Club  member, Willamette Writers

MORE ABOUT THE SPONSORING AGENT

Jeanie Loiacono, President, Loiacono Literary Agency
A facilitator of dreams, Jeanie Loiacono represents over eighty authors. Her forte is mystery, romance, thrillers, historical/military/southern fiction, and all quality fiction/nonfiction. Her passion is to see her authors succeed.

“There is nothing more rewarding than to hold one of my author’s books and know I helped bring it to fruition. I am so blessed and privileged to be able to work with some of the most talented writers in the world.” Jeanie.L@llallc.net  www.loiaconoliteraryagency.com



IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE INTERVIEWS--TO FIND GREAT READING OR TO NETWORK WITH AUTHORS--PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG. YOU ARE A WELCOME ADDITION TO THIS FAMILY WHO LOVES BOOKS! YOU'LL FIND A WINDOW TO DO THIS AT THE TOP OF THIS BLOG PAGE.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.